Get to know the body neutrality advocate making waves within the modelling industry…
Photography by Bryan Whitely
Sixtine Rouyre is a self-proclaimed body neutrality advocate and social media influencer who uses her platform to empower and inspire other women. Rouyre’s message and influence has made astronomical waves in the modelling industry, reinforcing other women to love their bodies regardless of their shape or size.
Rouyre started her wild ride within the modelling industry at the ripe age of 11-years-old. She moved to New York after graduating from NYU and set out to find agencies that represented curvy women. Since then, brands have noticed the profound impact she has had on shifting the culture around modelling and has booked for some of the most well-known brands including Skims, Mac Cosmetics, Cult Gaia, Jacquemus and more.
In 2019, she made a slight pivot during the pandemic, focusing on growing her TikTok audience. Today, she has a combined following of nearly 900,000 on both the video-based platform and Instagram.
We caught up with the model to get to know her early beginnings, her mission within modelling and chatted about upcoming exciting projects…
Photography by Bryan Whitely
Read the exclusive interview below…
How did you first begin your journey in the model industry?
While I had done a few projects as a teenager in Dallas, I didn’t really enter the industry until I moved to New York when I was 18. Throughout college, I would shoot with whatever photographers I could find to practice and even got a few freelance jobs here and there. I signed with my first agency in summer of 2018 to MMG when I was 20. But things really didn’t start pickup up for me modeling wise until I went to Coco Rocha’s Modeling Camp in the fall of 2019. There, not only did I learn valuable skills that have greatly helped my modeling career, but I also met my mother agent, Megan. She signed me to her MA Model Nexus and within a month had me signed to One Management in New York.
How did your family relocating from Brussels to Texas affect you?
This is something my sister and I talk about a lot actually (Shes an actress living in Los Angeles). I don’t think the relocating affected me then as a child as it has affected my future and life course if that makes sense. Being only 3 when we moved, Texas and the American lifestyle quickly became all I knew. We still spoke French around the house and had a lot of Belgian traditions and such but for the most part I was raised more or less American, unlike my older brothers. Looking back now, I don’t think I could have the life I have now if my family hadn’t moved. Not to say that there aren’t influencers or models in Belgium, but it’s just not as common. I feel like a lot of Belgians don’t leave Belgium permanently, it’s almost like a small cozy town vibe. You can see the difference between my sister and I and our older brothers as well. Because they were a bit older, I think the transition was much more difficult for them. Since my parents were also still so new to how the American school system worked with them, I think they ended up getting less help and opportunities than my sister and I did. All this to say, I am very lucky my parents chose to move when they did.
You moved to New York at 18, what gave you the drive and courage to do so?
It’s hard to say, I just knew I always wanted to live in New York. I visited NYC for the first time when I was 13, I think, and I just remember thinking “I am going to live here, no matter what.” And throughout my teenage years every time I brought it up my mom would say, “Ok, show me how.” She supported me in whatever I wanted to do with my life and always pushed me to go after what I wanted. In the end, going to NYU as an undergrad gave me the easiest path to move so I jumped on it.
Photography by Bryan Whitely
Why is it important to push the boundaries in the model industry?
Same reason it’s important to push the boundaries in any industry – progression. Nothing is perfect as it is and there is always something that can change in a positive way. For the modelling industry, the battle for inclusion and diversity remains. Ads are still mostly dominated by thin white models, models of colour are still paid less, and many agencies still push their models to extremes to keep their ultra-thin figures. And none of that changes if we all remain complacent.
To you, what does body positivity mean?
I honestly prefer the term body neutrality. This is acceptance of your body, without the need to love it. Body neutrality focuses on accepting your body for what it is: a body. I can appreciate my body for what it allows me to do- dance with my friends, laugh until my stomach hurts, climb the millions of steps it takes to get to my New York apartment- without needing to love my so-called flaws. My body is not made for aesthetic purposes and my own purpose and worth doesn’t need to revolve around it. My body allows me to live my life how I want to, it is simply the meat sack I’ve been given and that is what body neutrality means.
Photography by Ace Amir
Talk us through your new collaboration with Londre?
My collaboration with Londre has been one of the coolest projects I’ve been lucky enough to work on. I had worked with them on a few social jobs as well as modelled for them when they reached out to me last fall and said “Hey what if we designed a swimsuit together?” I was immediately on board. I had wanted to do a swimsuit collab, but was very adamant about working with a brand that valued inclusivity and sustainability so Londre was the perfect fit. We came up with the colour scheme almost immediately but the print took us a while to nail. We were going back and forth on designs for quite a bit and it wasn’t until I did a personal painting with Brooklyn artist Camille Hunt that we figured it out. After seeing my painting, the Londre team said “wait what if we made THIS our print.” And the rest is history. I’m so lucky to have worked with such incredible women on this project, Londre and Camille alike. They are all such powerful women who really inspire me to keep going after what it is I want and working with them on this suit was a dream come true.
What has been the highlight of your career to date?
I mean it’s obviously shooting with Sports Illustrated. Can you imagine? That was a dream client that was so far up the list I was like oh yeah one day no way I’m just going to casually become a Sports Illustrated Model. AND THEN I DID. I still can’t believe it. And the whole entire SI staff and team has only made it better, they truly are so amazing. I shot my photos on my 25th birthday in Dominica, which made it an even greater highlight, and after my shoot wrapped the entire team sang happy birthday to me and presented me with a cake. I am so grateful and so lucky to be a part of such an incredible family of people.
What advice would you give to any budding models or influencers?
Keep going. A few years ago, an acting coach told my sister, “Your success is not a question of IF, but rather a question of WHEN.” And since then, my sister and I have kind of lived by that. Both of our careers have been something we so badly wanted, and continued to work towards no matter what. Even when I was in college and bartending and not making any money as a model, I didn’t give up because I knew it would happen when the time was right. So that is my advice to anyone who wants to do this: If you want it bad enough, go for it. Your time will come.
